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Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH) experience partial or complete loss of the sense of hearing and thus are unable to understand spoken language as someone with intact hearing would. According to the 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), D/HH is defined as having "a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing with or without amplification." Therefore, even students who use hearing aids or assistive listening devices require additional support and accommodations for success. Amplification through hearing aids for those who have residual hearing has been compared to listening to the radio with the volume turned up but not quite on the right station.
Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH) experience partial or complete loss of the sense of hearing and thus are unable to understand spoken language as someone with intact hearing would. According to the 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), D/HH is defined as having "a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing with or without amplification." Therefore, even students who use hearing aids or assistive listening devices require additional support and accommodations for success. Amplification through hearing aids for those who have residual hearing has been compared to listening to the radio with the volume turned up but not quite on the right station.
Hearing loss varies in severity and in the type of loss. Conductive or mixed hearing loss may even vary from day to day. Some students have difficulty with loudness, pitch, or both. Because classroom instruction is heavily dependent upon language, D/HH students will have common educational barriers. They will have difficulties comprehending lectures in real-time, difficulty participating in class discussions, difficulty giving presentations, difficulty taking exams (particularly if the exam is oral), difficulty taking notes, and difficulty watching educational films and videos (particularly if they are not captioned).
Hearing loss varies in severity and in the type of loss. Conductive or mixed hearing loss may even vary from day to day. Some students have difficulty with loudness, pitch, or both. Because classroom instruction is heavily dependent upon language, D/HH students will have common educational barriers. They will have difficulties comprehending lectures in real-time, difficulty participating in class discussions, difficulty giving presentations, difficulty taking exams (particularly if the exam is oral), difficulty taking notes, and difficulty watching educational films and videos (particularly if they are not captioned).
Nine million people in the US are D/HH, over 100,000 of them are between the age of 18 to 44 (college aged) (2016). The National Center for Educational Statistics report that there are approximately 20,000 deaf and hard of hearing students attending a post-secondary institution each year. Because Hearing is a major life activity, students who are deaf or hard of hearing are protected under the ADA and therefore are eligible for reasonable accommodations. Adherence to the ADA may require the use of the following accommodations:
Nine million people in the US are D/HH, over 100,000 of them are between the age of 18 to 44 (college aged) (2016). The National Center for Educational Statistics report that there are approximately 20,000 deaf and hard of hearing students attending a post-secondary institution each year. Because Hearing is a major life activity, students who are deaf or hard of hearing are protected under the ADA and therefore are eligible for reasonable accommodations. Adherence to the ADA may require the use of the following accommodations:
Accommodations for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Accommodations for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Sign language interpreters
- Media captioning
- Assistive listening devices such as Inductive Loop systems, FM Systems, and infrared systems
- Speech to text in class captioning.
- Extended time on tests and quizzes
- Note-takers
- Interpreted tests
D/HH students registered with Disability Services may be approved for the legally mandated accommodations depending on the functional limitation of the hearing loss. Faculty can be of great support by creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom for all students including those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Although deafness is protected under the ADA, many deaf individuals view their condition more as a cultural difference than a disability. Deaf culture is defined as having a set of social belief, behaviors, art, literacy, traditions, history, values, and shared institutions of communities that are influenced by deafness and use sign language as the main means of communication. An awareness of this perspective will allow faculty to be more inclusive and sensitive to the needs of all students, including students who are D/HH. There are many strategies that are effective in supporting students who are D/HH. Applying any of the strategies can have a positive effect on students by making them feel welcome and included.
What Can Faculty Do?
What Can Faculty Do?
- Provide Disability Services approved accommodations and consult with Disability Services for any concern.
- Pay attention to the language used. Using terms like hearing impaired or deaf mute is considered derogatory and offensive. The appropriate terminology when referring to someone who cannot hear is deaf and for someone who has some level of hearing loss is hard of hearing.
- When giving instructions, keep them brief and uncomplicated. If instructions are repeated, repeat them exactly without paraphrasing.
- Provide a clear and detailed syllabus. Include defined course requirements, the dates of exams, and assignment due dates. If changes are made, provide notice of the change in writing.
- Give information provided in lectures in a visual format (use white board, overheads, Power Point slides, handouts, etc.).
- Use multiple ways to demonstrate and explain the lesson, when possible.
- At the beginning of class, state the agenda/learning objectives and do a brief review of previous lesson. Throughout the class, give periodical summaries.
- Repeat the comments and questions from students, especially when someone is speaking from the back row or when someone has a low voice. Identify who spoke so that the student who is D/HH can focus on the speaker.
- When appropriate, pair a hearing individual with someone who is D/HH for in-class assignment.
- If available, provide copies of notes, Power Points, study guides and/or post them on Blackboard.
- Allow extra time for responses from a student who is D/HH in class discussions.
- Face the class when speaking.
- If an interpreter is present, do not move far from the interpreter so that the student can see you both.
- Include students who are D/HH in group discussions. Be flexible on the assignment of groups since interpreters might be accommodating more than one student at the same time.
- If breaks are given, ensure that the student who is D/HH knows when class is resuming. Sometimes flicking the lights might be an appropriate method of grabbing a student's attention.
- Students who are D/HH use vision as their primary method to learn. Ensure that videos are captioned and use overheads, diagrams, and other visual aids in teaching to support all students.
- Ensure that oral announcements such as cancellations, changes in due dates, etc., are also available in an accessible way.
- Ensure priority seating for D/HH so they have a direct view of the interpreter and instructor.
- Develop ground rules when participating in class discussions. It is very difficult for students who are D/HH to understand/follow the discussion if multiple people speak excitedly or at the same time. It is equally as difficult for interpreters to do their job when these rules are not followed.
- Speak privately with the student who is D/HH and solicit ideas on how he/she can best participate. Adjust as necessary.
- If group discussion is the key mode of instruction, if possible re-arrange seating into a circle, offering the best advantage for students who are D/HH to see all students/speakers.
- If the curriculum includes field trips, provide ample notice so that arrangements for interpreters, and transportation can be made.
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